Only one study, published in 1975, has examined music as an auxiliary analgesic during first trimester abortion. This was a randomized controlled trial of 144 patients divided into 3 groups who all received oral diazepam and a paracervical block with mepivacaine in addition to 1) no further anesthesia, 2) self-administered methoxyflurane, or 3) music via stereophonic headphones. Patients who listened to music during suction curettage reported less tension and less pain (Shapiro, 1975). Although this study showed a beneficial effect of music, its findings are limited by poor study descriptors of patient characteristics, an unspecified randomization procedure, and lack of appropriate statistical analysis. A non-validated pain questionnaire was utilized and there is minimal description of procedural methods, the intervention, and results. Given these limitations, its results may not be applicable by current randomized trial guidelines. Nonetheless, this is the only published study to examine the use music as an auxiliary analgesic during first trimester abortion.